Abstract
In an increasingly diverse school population, teachers find themselves facing students whose ethnicities, cultures, experiences, and religions are vastly different from their own. While this is a fantastic opportunity to develop a unique learning community, it is also challenging for teachers who may or may not have adequate training to meet the needs of all students. Using a survey designed to determine how comfortable an individual is in a variety of situations characterized by diversity, pre-service education candidates from the Elementary K-6 and Special Education K-12 degree programs from a mid-sized university in Arkansas were given a questionnaire on their comfortability with different diversity characteristics. The semester in which participants engaged in this survey included field placement. Results from the questionnaire indicated that the lowest average comfortability rating was for the HIV category, and the highest average comfortability rating was for the disability category. Qualitative information suggests that pre-service teachers perceive that they are "comfortable" with different groups of people, although previous research cautions against this comfortability. The authors suggest that teacher education programs, professional development, and staff in-service training on diversity topics should consider several practices designed to bolster how teacher candidates prepare to work with diverse populations of students.
 Keywords: teacher candidates, diversity, perceptions, comfortability
Highlights
One of the most beautiful aspects of schools is the diversity of the students and staff that inhabit them; this is one of the scariest and most challenging aspects of being a teacher.Teachers entering the workforce today face new and ever-changing challenges
Qualitative information presented suggests that pre-service teachers perceive that they are "comfortable" with different groups of people, previous research cautions against this comfortability
This research is qualitative information gathered from pre-service teachers as part of a class discussion
Summary
One of the most beautiful aspects of schools is the diversity of the students and staff that inhabit them; this is one of the scariest and most challenging aspects of being a teacher.Teachers entering the workforce today face new and ever-changing challenges. It is imperative that teachers are trained to navigate the multicultural waters but that they feel effective in doing so. This can be a double-edged sword because teachers may have received limited preparation on issues of diversity during their preparatory training and throughout in-service professional development, yet may feel incompetent and uninformed, or worse, may make assumptions based on beliefs and values rather than facts. This article targets the growing diversity of schools, and the different identities of students teachers are facing within their classrooms. Qualitative information presented suggests that pre-service teachers perceive that they are "comfortable" with different groups of people, previous research cautions against this comfortability. Implications for future research and practical suggestions for higher education using a cultural humility mindset instead of a multicultural mindset are presented
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